The Tree Swing
by IamMu-chan
Summary: The idea for this story came to me in a dream. Not really a misc. book, more of an original idea. Chloe finds herself taking a trip down memory lane without realizing it while a lover from her past deals with his feelings for her. Please Read & Review!


**THE TREE SWING**

_This is just an idea that came to me one night...not to sound cliche but it came to me in a dream. ;-) Got uo and started writing this in the middle of the night and I thought I'd share it one . It's technically not a fanfiction is suppose because it is my original idea, but I hope you enjoy it nonetheless!_

_Please review and let me know what you think - I will post the next part up as soon as I can! If not then it'll remain a mystery...:-P_

_Lotsa Love_

_IamMu-chan_

**Chapter One**

**A memory**

"Alex!" the little girl called, as she saw him coming from around the tall outgrowth of rose bushes at the edge of the farmhouse. She waved frantically as he looked up at her, smiling, and she ran towards him, throwing her arms out in glee. As she drew closer to him, Alex held out his arms to her, picking her up as she fell into them, and twirling her around along with him.

"Alex, I found a secret place!" the girl exclaimed as he placed her back down on her feet, "It's a pretty, pretty secret place!"

Alex smiled down at her and placed his hand on her head, ruffling up her hair and making her shy away.

"Won't you come and see it?" she whined, and Alex nodded.

"Of course I will, Chloe!" he said and she smiled with glee.

Chloe was part of the Davids household, one of the more wealthy families in the countryside where they lived. Alex was a simple boy who lived a few houses down with his grandfather. He loved the countryside simply for one reason: the girl standing before him. The two of them shared a close and special bond, despite their differences in background and age. They spent every day together, and Alex never grew tired of her company. The beginnings of puppy love were forming about his heart for the girl day by day. He would hate to leave her behind, but some things couldn't be undone.

She took him by the hand and began to lead him towards the back gate of the garden which led out onto the fields of the surrounding meadow. She led him through the gate and towards a large grove of trees which had been planted hundreds of years ago, and Alex felt a faint shiver run down his spine as he looked up at the towering tree tops and followed Chloe into the shadowed darkness of their depth.

"Chloe, where are you taking me?" Alex asked her, but all she did was shake her head and utter a hurried 'Shhh!'

"Why?" he asked and Chloe looked at him expectantly, with a glowing mischievousness in her eyes.

"You don't want to wake the fairies…" she whispered, and Alex shook his head in admiration.

Soon they left the shelter of the trees and reached a small clearing, into which small shards of light fell, illuminating speckles of dust which fell into their wake. At the edge of the clearing stood a gigantic oak, to which Chloe ran happily, heading towards the left side of the tree, Alex was transfixed by the sheer size of the tree; he was sure it was the biggest in the forest, and soon he noticed, hanging from a thick branch on the left side, a knotted rope.

It was old, from what he could tell, and in some places moss had begun to grow onto the knots, which made the rope look almost multicoloured along with the light shining through the trees.

"Is this your secret place?" he asked Chloe who nodded her head in happiness.

"It really is pretty…" he added, as he admired the rope again. He felt Chloe come up to him and take his hand, and he looked down at her in surprise.

"Push me Alex?" she asked and he smiled. He lifted her up onto the rope and showed her where to hold on tightly and how to place her feet. Soon he was pushing her back and forth, higher and higher, and she laughed and spun in delight.

He watched her as the light caught her blonde hair, making it dance with light and colour, and admired her soft, tanned skin.

She began to slow down and Alex lifted her off the rope again, as she smiled and shook her hair back.

"Did you enjoy that?" he asked and she nodded again; she was very quiet that day for some reason.

"Yes," she finally said, and looked down at her feet as a blush began to creep across her cheeks, "I wish that we could swing together though…" she added, and Alex agreed, looking up at the branch.

It was thick and looked strong, but he doubted whether the branch and the rope were able to support both his and Chloe's weight. He went up to the rope in curiosity, taking hold of it and swinging himself onto it, placing his feet at the knot. The tree branch groaned at his extra weight and the rope strained, and he jumped off quickly, not wanting to break either. It was clear that it was impossible for him and Chloe to swing together on it. He suddenly sat down as he remembered the reason why he came to Chloe in the first place.

"Chloe…" he started, and she lay down next to him, placing her head in his lap, "How old are you now?" he asked and she smiled.

"I'm almost eleven in a few months!" she said, and Alex nodded, "But you know that silly!"

"Yes, I do know that," he said, "But Chloe, how old am I now?"

Chloe's eyes widened, and she whispered, "Almost thirteen in a few more months. Wow Alex, you're getting so _old!"_

Alex laughed and pinched her cheek playfully, "That's true!" he said, "But, what happens to most boys when they turn thirteen?"

"Hmm," Chloe frowned, "I don't know…"

"Well, I do," Alex said, and Chloe looked up at him curiously, "They get sent away…to high school…in the city."

Chloe gasped, and Alex looked away from her shocked face.

"But…what about our school? What about the school we go to?" Chloe protested and Alex shook his head again.

"No Chloe…It's time for me to go to high school…I can't go to our school anymore. My grandfather is sending me back to my parents in the city…soon."

Chloe's eyes filled up with tears, and Alex couldn't stand it anymore; he stood up, throwing Chloe's head from his lap, and began to walk away. Chloe ran forward, wrapping her arms around his waist, allowing her tears to flow freely.

"But….but!" she cried, and Alex stopped, trying his best not to cry himself, "But what about…me?"

Alex dropped down to his knees and brought Chloe round to face him, startling her with his forcefulness. When he spoke, however, his voice was gentle and full of sadness and admiration.

" I promise you…one day the tree behind us will grow bigger and stronger…and I promise that one day I will come back, and the tree branch with the swinging rope will be strong enough for us both to swing together…I promise you that I'll be back…

"You're my best friend, Chloe, and I love you so very much, so I promise, I promise I'll come back!"

Alex then hugged Chloe tightly against his chest, and as the two of them drew apart he planted a light kiss on her tear stained cheek…

Chloe opened her eyes slightly as she felt something cold and wet fall onto her cheek. She sat up and brought her hand to her face, as more raindrops began to fall through the dense branches of the trees above, and she looked up in awe at the light which illuminated every drop. There was something magical about this light, and Chloe always felt herself fill with warmth and happiness when the light touched her skin. She looked around her, taking in the smells and the sounds of the forest, and her eyes soon fell upon the large oak tree which stood at the edge of the clearing. She got up and made her way towards it, picking up her notebook and pencil along with her.

She had come here in search of a quiet place to do some sketching, and found herself wondering along an unfamiliar path which she unconsciously knew how to follow. She made her way off the trail after a few minutes without really deciding to do so, and pushed through bushes and brambles until she reached a natural clearing, filled with light and a sort of magical warmth. The old oak had immediately caught her interest. After an hour or so of drawing she had begun to dose off and then…she had that dream…

She had no idea where it had come from; she couldn't remember having ever met anyone by the name of Alex before, and yet the dream seemed so real…as if it were a memory. She thought back on it, remembering the detail, the precision and the reality of the dream, and she soon found her arms covered in goose bumps, and she hugged her notebook close to her chest as she neared the ancient tree.

The girl in the dream looked exactly like she had when she was younger; long, blonde hair, sparkling green eyes, a tanned complexion and terribly rosy cheeks. It looked exactly like her and yet...it wasn't her…they even had the same name…

Chloe put her hand to her eyes and shook her head in frustration. It was only a dream…nothing more. She removed her hand from her face and admired the old tree before her; it looked almost exactly like the one in her dream. She walked around it, pulling loose dead branches here and there, and stepping through the dense bush which had grown around it. The rain was falling steadily now, but it was only a light drizzle, and she rejoiced at the coolness and comfort it brought her.

As she made her way through the dense bush she walked into something soft and solid, and she startled, thinking it was a vine, or even a snake hanging from the ancient tree, but as she looked up to examine it she found…a rope. A knotted rope covered in moss and spider webs, fraying here and there in certain places, and Chloe stepped back in shock; this _was_ the tree from her dream! Only…it was older…much, much older.

She tried to wrap her head around the situation, when, at that moment, a raucous bout of thunder filled the air and a flash of lighting cracked through the sky above, and the rain came down heavier than ever. Chloe was plunged into sudden, damp, darkness, and she turned around, notebook over her head, and ran towards the light coming through the trees at the other end of the forest. She ran as fast as she could, but the rain became even more intense and soon she was soaked to the bone.

She exited the dense array of trees and began to run in the direction of her car, only to find that she had left her bag containing her car keys back at the clearing. She was not going to make her way all the way there and back again, so she ran to the nearest farmhouse she could find.

She struggled through the small, metal gate and ran past the large rose bushes that lined the walls to the front door of the house and pounded on it as loud as she could.

"Hello?" she called, and when there was no answer she pounded even louder, "Is anyone there?"  
Soon she heard quick, heavy footsteps approach the door, and she backed away slightly as the door opened with a jolt.

"Yes?" a gruff, yet musical voice answered, and she looked up into the face of a handsome, slightly older man who was dressed in an old, white shirt and black trousers with large, brown boots. He was unshaven and his eyes seemed bloodshot, which gave Chloe a sense of uncertainty, but the pounding rain behind her and the coldness of the evening forced her to speak.

"Evening sir," she said as quickly and politely as she could, "I'm sorry to bother you this evening but, I was in the forest for the most part of the afternoon, and when it started raining I forgot my car keys when I tried to get to my car. Could I perhaps come in until the rain stops so that I could keep dry? Please?"

The man surveyed her up and down, taking in her blonde hair, her green eyes, her soaked shirt which clung onto her body, and Chloe winced beneath his stare; she felt as if she might become his next meal.

"What's your name there, girl?" he asked her and she stammered slightly in her haste to answer, "C-C-Chloe, sir!"

The man's eyes widened and then narrowed slightly, but he stepped aside nonetheless and opened the door for her.

"Come on in then, before you catch cold."

"Thank you, sir"

"No need to keep calling me sir, I'm not that old. I'd say I'm only a few years your senior."

"Y-Yes, sir, I-I mean…sorry…I'm twenty eight if that helps? Sorry, I'm rambling…I'll just…thank you…" she stammered, feeling nervous as she rung her hair out.

His eyes widened once more at the mention of her age, glancing at her from top to bottom again before shaking his head.

"Only turning thirty next month," he muttered, stomping his way past her into the kitchen.

Chloe had always been small for her age, and she felt a bit irritated by the fact that people often misjudged her because of her seemingly young age.

"Sorry, I know I seem much younger," she continued, trailing after him, "People always think I'm lying when I tell them how old I am."

The man shook his head once more, bending down and retrieving an old kettle from the cupboard beneath the stove.

"It's not that it's just…never mind," he trailed off. He then turned around all of a sudden, as if he was struck by an idea. Chloe recoiled automatically, but relaxed when she saw him hold out his hand.

"Sorry, I'm being rude; I failed to introduce myself. I'm Alex, Alex Brimshaw," he said, and Chloe's mind flitted back to the dream she had experienced in the forest. She took his hand and he gave it one firm shake before letting go again. Chloe let her hand fall to her side, amazed at the slight tingling that ran through it. It wasn't just her dream that felt familiar to her, but this man did as well.

"You look a bit like someone I knew a long time ago," he said over his shoulder, busying himself with a kettle on the old stove. Chloe realized then that she was standing, lost in thought, in his doorway, and instead went to take a seat at the kitchen table while the storm raged on outside.

"I do?" she asked, puzzled.

The man chuckled as he prepared two cups on a tray, "You even have the same name as her. But it couldn't be her…besides, she died a while ago."

"I'm sorry…" Chloe said, looking down at her feet as an awkward air filled the room.

A stiff silence filled the air between them and Chloe took to observing her surroundings. She noticed only now that she was in an old-styled farmhouse; the floors were wooden and the walls were all the same creamy white colour. The windows could be closed with old wooden shutters which seemed to be falling to pieces, and the faded blue window frames were the only thing that brought colour into the room. The hall which she had just come from had a large red carpet running from the front door to the foot of the large stairwell. The house had a slight dusty feel to it, but it was clean; it simply seemed dirty because of the age of the place. There was no effort to restore the wood or to polish it, but it was clear that some cleaning did occur every once in a while. An old oil lamp had been placed on the table before her; a result of the darkening from the storm.

They remained like that, in silence, as Alex prepared the tea, placed the teapot on the tray and brought it over to the table where she sat. The silence was only broken when enquiry was made over the tea.

"How much sugar would you like??" Alex asked as he poured the tea.

"Two please," she instructed, watching him add them and taking the warm cup from him in gratitude.

"I don't have any milk, I'm sorry," he apologized, sitting down and adding two spoons of sugar to his own cup, "I haven't had chance to head to the market yet."

Chloe shook her head.

"It's no problem, its better without milk anyway…" she smiled at him and brought the cup to her mouth. Alex watched her curiously, stirring his tea in thought and following her movements with his attentive eyes. She shivered slightly as the warm tea trickled down her throat, and he jumped up in apology, appalled at how he had lost his manners. His long months of solitude must have worked them out of him.

"I'm sorry, you must be freezing!" he exclaimed, stepping towards her and grabbing the cup from her hands. Chloe gasped with the sudden forcefulness of his action, and she felt herself being pulled up from her seat and pushed back towards the kitchen entrance.

"Please, come upstairs, have a shower and get dressed in some of my clothes. I hope they'll fit you. You're so small!"

He led her up the stairs and to the first door on the left, opening it and forcing her inside. Chloe felt too windswept by the situation to say and do anything, and the small twinge of fear she had felt earlier increased tenfold as she was forced into Alex's bedroom. She froze all of a sudden, and the man who was leading her towards another door froze as well, startled by his actions. He turned in apology, releasing her hand and backing away, sensing her fear.

"I'm sorry," he apologized, edging around her to the door, "I didn't mean to scare you, I just feel terrible for not offering this sooner. Please, the bathroom is through there," he pointed towards the other door, "Take a shower and warm up. I'll put some clothes that may fit you out on the bed and you can change into them. You can bring your wet clothes downstairs when you're done, I'll dry them for you. The storm looks as if it may last quite a while. I'll get some supper ready…a new cup of tea as well. Once again, I'm sorry…"

As he said this he carried on making his way to the bedroom door and the apology seemed so heartfelt that Chloe couldn't help but smile at him. She knew now that he only meant well, but the sudden forcefulness of it all had startled and frightened her a bit. She didn't even know this man, but she knew he wouldn't hurt her. Something inside of her just sensed it, and she nodded her head as he reached the doorway.

"Thank you," she blurted out, as he was about to snap the door shut. He opened it an inch or two again, looking at her, now calm, face, "I really appreciate all of this. I'm sorry; I didn't mean to make you feel guilty. Thank you. I really do mean it."

Alex nodded and shut the door on her, turning in order to make his way back down the stairs. Before he did so he paused at the small table directly across from the doorway to his bedroom. It was covered in framed photographs; the ones that he had taken from the walls when he had first moved in here. He hadn't had the strength to look at them, nor had he had the courage to pack them away, so he had simply placed them, face down, on the first table in the hallway all those months ago.

He walked towards them now, picking up the one on top and turning it around. A thin layer of dust covered the glass, and he wiped it away in order to stare at the photograph within the frame. He knew it well; it was a photo taken almost twenty years ago. In the photo was a boy he recognized as himself, smiling widely as he clapped along with the other children in the photo, cheering for the young girl sitting next to him who was blowing out the eleven candles on the birthday cake before her. She had blonde hair, and beneath her closed eyes he knew there were sparkling green emeralds which could capture the heart of any stranger. He smiled and examined the girls face, looking for similarities between her and the woman in the bedroom behind him. But the photo was old and crudely taken, so Alex was unable to make out much.

He sighed and made his way back down the stairs after placing the photograph back on the table. He returned to the kitchen, placing the ancient teapot back on the stove so it could stay warm, and continuing to the pantry to find something to prepare for dinner. He settled on making a beef stew, retrieving a large piece of meat and some vegetables from his stores and boiling some water in a pot.

While it boiled he decided to go wash up himself; he knew he looked a sight and wanted to appear a bit more presentable since there was a woman in his house. He hadn't received a visitor in weeks, and therefore he was unaccustomed to conversation and general etiquette. Besides, he hadn't been expecting company.

He made his way to the downstairs bathroom which was smaller than the one upstairs but suited his purposes well enough. He took a razor of his from the shelf and coated his face in shaving cream before starting to remove the fuzz that he had been neglecting for so long. As he carefully removed the hair he became lost in thought about his guest upstairs. Was it simply coincidence that this woman looked similar to the girl he had fallen in love with? The girl whose apparent death had thrown him into a depression and forced him to isolate himself from the world? And not only did she look similar to her, but she shared the same name and mannerisms of the girl he remembered. Was it a coincidence? Was she somehow related? Was it her daughter or niece of some kind? No, that couldn't be right, because she also shared the exact same age as the girl he once knew. But if it was Chloe…his Chloe, she would have recognized him. He wasn't the type to believe in miracles; although this girl seemed like his Chloe from so long ago, he could tell the difference in her face.

Some similarities were present, but a lot of differences jumped out at him as well. Her hair colour, eye colour and skin tone were the same. Her voice had the same tinkle within it, and her body the same build. Her face was different though. This girl's nose was slightly larger, her mouth was smaller, her lips slightly thicker. Her teeth were straighter and her chin was less pronounced. She was beautiful, nonetheless, almost as if the small things that had made Chloe seem pixie-like and girlish were removed and were replaced by the attributes of a woman, making her seem more voluptuous.

Alex thought this to himself as he smoothed his face out, ran a comb through his longish hair and freshened up his body odor. He looked himself over in the mirror, and decided that he needed to change his shirt for something more appropriate; his white shirt had a large coffee stain on the left pocket, and it looked almost grey with age.

He sighed to himself and quickly went through to the kitchen, checked on the condition of his stew, put the kettle back on the stove and then made his way upstairs once more. While ascending the stairs he pulled his shirt over his head, tossing it over the railings into the entrance of the bathroom below; he'd place it in the laundry bin later. He hoped that Chloe was finished showering inside as he knocked lightly on the bedroom door.

"Just a second!" he heard her shout, and a short scuffling could be heard as she flitted about the room. Soon the door opened and a fresh stream of hot air filtered out, no doubt having come from the steamy bathroom she had left behind. She had a large red towel wrapped around her, and her hair clung damply to her cheeks. She smiled guiltily at her appearance as Alex found himself admiring her.

"Hi!" she said sweetly, smiling and tilting her head slightly, "Thanks for the offer of the shower, I feel tons better!"

"You're welcome," he said smiling back at her.

"It's just," she started, glancing guiltily back into the room, "You didn't put any clothes out for me, so I…um, kind of started looking myself…"

She opened the door wider, giving him a view of his room. There were clothes strewn all over the bed and floor, no doubt the result of Chloe's frantic hunting for something suitable to fit her.

"That's alright," he said, chuckling to himself, "I guess it's my fault for not having put anything out for you. I came up to get a new shirt myself, so now my jobs half done already! Here, let me help you get something…"

Chloe held the door open for him and stepped back, allowing him to enter the room and make his way to the dresser on the one end.

"I swear I'll clean this all up!" she said quickly, dropping down and gathering up some clothes in one arm, holding the knot of the towel to her chest with the other.

"Don't worry about it," Alex said, waving his hand over his shoulder, "It'll give me something to do when I get bored."

He turned around and grinned at her, and Chloe only seemed to notice then that he was shirtless. The clothes fell to the floor as she brought both hands to the knot of the towel, making sure it stayed put as her cheeks broke out in a warm blush. Alex noticed, of course; he had always been attentive of Chloe's blushes…even if this wasn't the real Chloe. He chuckled again and went back to digging for some clothes for her, as well as a shirt for himself. In order to save her from her embarrassment, he threw on the first shirt he could find, and proceeded to look deeper into the drawer for her. What he didn't expect to find was something he had long forgotten about.

He pulled out a pair of faded blue jeans, automatically making to throw them to the side, knowing that his jeans would be too large for the girl behind him, but the cut of the jeans drew his attention and he paused. It was a pair of female jeans, the pockets encrusted with fake jewels and the hems starting to fray with age. He knew exactly whose jeans they were and he dropped them, having forgotten that he had kept them.

When he had decided to move permanently into the Davids' old country home, he had left all the history of his and Chloe's relationship within it. He couldn't bear to look at the pictures and recall the painful memories, but he didn't have the heart to get rid of them either. This pair of jeans was proof of that. They had belonged to Chloe, and he remembered them well. He had left them in the drawers of the old dresser, and hadn't really taken them out since he had moved in. He had never dug deep enough to find or remember them, until now. He had gone silent while he delved into thought, and he wasn't surprised when Chloe came up behind him to stare inquisitively at the pair of jeans.

"What are those?" she asked, and he snapped back to the present, hardly realizing that he was holding the pair of jeans once more up to his face. He looked back up to Chloe, who seemed extremely curious, and he shook his head.

"Just an old pair of jeans," he mumbled, and he was about to put them back when he felt another hand tug at them.

"Can I try them on?" Chloe asked, "They look as if they might fit me."

Every muscle in Alex's body suddenly screamed 'No!' as the girl lightly tugged at the jeans again. Alex didn't know if he could bear seeing the clothes of the girl he loved on a look-alike, and he held on tighter as she tugged at them gently once more.

"Please?" she asked, and he finally let go at her request, surprised at the weakness he showed.

"Thanks!" she said, dancing away from him and into the bathroom once more. As soon as the door was shut Alex slumped onto the ground, surprised at himself. What spell did this girl hold over him that enabled her to get exactly the response that she wanted out of him? Something inside of him jumped through hoops for the girl, and it wasn't just because she reminded him of someone he had lost long ago. There was something deeper behind it, and it scared him.

Soon he went back to searching for a shirt for Chloe, and he came across a number of different items that had belonged to the original. He passed over them though, in search of another, smaller shirt of his. His Chloe's jeans were already on the girl behind him; he didn't know if he could handle seeing another item on her.

He heard the door behind him open at the exact moment that he pulled a suitable item from the dresser, and he tossed it behind him onto the bed, not looking around.

"There's a top for you," he plainly stated, beginning to pack the other items back into the drawers.

"Thank you," he heard quietly behind him, "Don't turn around I'm going to put it on."

Alex obliged, not wanting to look in the first place, afraid of what he might see.

"Ok, I'm done!" he heard a few seconds later, "The jeans fit pretty well. They're even the right length…they feel like a comfortable, old pair of jeans that I've worn in already. I like them. And the top fits too…"

Alex turned around at last, bracing himself for the impact of the sight before him. The girl stood facing him, hands behind her back, looking down at her clothes in a puzzled manner. The grey v-necked jersey that he had offered sat loosely on her body, and was long enough to hide the jewel beading at the pockets of the jeans. With those covered the jeans looked to be any normal pair, but the girl wearing them, and the fact that they fit her so well, was not normal.

He wondered at her puzzled expression, despite his sudden feelings of apprehension towards her.

"Is something wrong?" he asked, and she shook her head, the frown on her forehead deepening.

"It's just strange that they fit me so well," she remarked, pulling at the end of the jersey and lifting it so as to look at the jeans fully. The sparkle of the threaded jewels caught Alex's attention, and he looked away quickly, absorbing the impact they had on him.

"I mean, they're exactly my size, my length and everything." Chloe continued, not noticing anything, "They even feel comfortable and they smell…familiar somehow. Despite the slightly dusty smell to them, of course."

Alex shrugged his shoulders. He wasn't about to apologize for the neglect of those clothes; he had forgotten about them for a reason.

"Whose are they in anyway?" she asked him, and he looked up, considering whether to tell her or not.

"Chloe's," he eventually said, as her face turned from curiosity to puzzlement once more.

"The girl I told you about," he added and she nodded in acknowledgment.

Once again an awkward silence filled the room as Chloe dropped the hem of her top and stared down at her attire in thoughtfulness once more. Alex wanted to avoid another bout of awkwardness, and stuffed the last of his shirts back into the drawer, standing up and dusting himself off.

"Shall we go down for some more tea?" he asked, gesturing towards the door, "I'll build us a fire while the supper cooks."

Chloe smiled appreciatively.

"I'd like that. Thank you…"

Alex was interrupted from his frantic efforts at getting a fire going by the shrill ring of a cellphone. The annoying tune startled him, and he looked behind him quickly, almost nicking his head on the wooden hearth just above him.

"Oops! Sorry!" Chloe said, jumping in her seat. She was sitting in one of the large armchairs next to the fire, a teacup balanced on her knee, watching him blow frantically at the already dying embers of the fire. The tea almost went to waste once more at her surprised motion, but luckily she balanced it once more and placed it on the side table with lightning speed. She jumped up and raced to the kitchen next door, snatching up her cellphone and looking at the screen to see who the call was from.

"I have to take this, I'll be right back!" she said hurriedly, poking her head through the doorway and disappearing into the hall, cellphone already at her ear.

Alex returned to his fire, poking at the embers once more, and couldn't help but overhear the slightly loud conversation around the corner…

"Hi honey, I'm sorry I haven't called…no, everything's fine really!" Chloe said urgently, sinking down onto the red carpet at the foot of the stairs and mentally kicking herself for forgetting about her cellphone.

"I've been worried sick about you!" she heard on the other line, and she shook her head slightly, preparing for the worried onslaught.

"Jacque, honey, I'm perfectly fine, I-"

"You're not driving in this weather are you? After what happened last time I hope you're not! Are you alright? Do you need me to come pick you up? Where are you?"

"Calm down Jacque, I'm fine! I just took a drive this afternoon to an old farm a friend told me about. I wanted to do some sketching. The storm kind of hit me in the middle of it all and I'm still out here. But I'm perfectly fine; a local farmer took me in."

"I'm coming to get you this instant Chloe, baby, just tell me where you are and I'll be there in no time!"

"Honey, that's really not necessary! There's no need for you to drive out in this rain, then we'll both be nothing but nervous wrecks tonight! I'll come home tomorrow morning; as soon as the storm clears I'll be home."

"Baby, I don't trust anyone else to keep you safe but me. Is it a family you're staying with? Never mind, just tell me where you are and I'll come out as soon as the storm starts clearing."

Chloe sighed. There was just no arguing with her fiancé. She knew he meant well, but she wanted him to trust her to take care of herself sometimes. But considering what had happened almost two years ago she was willing to be babysat once in a while.

"Fine," she surrendered, and then heard a tone of silence on the other end of the line.

"Jacque? Honey?" she asked, but heard nothing on the other end. She took her cellphone from her ear and sighed once more in frustration. Her battery had died. She got to her feet in annoyance, heading back to Alex who was no doubt still crouched before the fire.

She didn't find him in front of the fire, which was roaring happily in the grate now, but instead at the stove, stirring the contents of his stew. It smelled delicious and Chloe's stomach growled in approval. She put her hands to her stomach in embarrassment, but Alex hadn't even heard it over the pounding rain outside.

"Smells good!" she complimented him, and he smiled in her direction, obviously deep in thought about something.

"Um, you don't happen to have a charger for me?" she asked helplessly, gesturing towards her dead phone, and he seemed to smile even wider at her request.

"Even if I did," he started, pausing to taste a bit of the stew and deciding to add a pinch more salt, "It wouldn't help you much."

"Why?" she asked, confused. He responded by pointing his spoon around the room, wise eyed and adorned with a mischievous grin.

"This house is about thirty, maybe forty years old," he started, "Was built by a rich old couple who used this place as an escape from the pressures of city life. They built it and fashioned it not as an elaborate country mansion, but as an old-styled farmhouse which broke away from modern civilization. Also, the area they chose to build it in is a relatively old, rural area which makes little use of modern advantages."

Chloe looked on at him with that same puzzled expression that she seemed to be wearing for most of her visit, and he chuckled as he reached the conclusion to his monologue.

"In other words, we do not make use of electricity."

Her eyes widened as he said this, and he prepared for the tidal wave of questions he was sure would soon be flowing from her mouth.

"But…but! The stove! How are you cooking on the stove then?"

Alex responded by stepping aside and pointing towards a small tank of gas by his feet, half hidden in the corner of the room.

"Gas stove," he said with a smile, "Almost everything here works on mainly gas, oil and batteries in special cases."

"But I had a shower just a few minutes ago!" Chloe exclaimed in disbelief, "How do you explain that?"

Alex shrugged.

"This house is fortunate enough to have plumbing, at least. It's the only house with it for miles. This is a highly rural area after all. Besides, electricity is expensive."

Chloe stood, frozen, staring at Alex in disbelief. She then broke out into a small giggle.

"That's a good joke," she said, shaking her head, "But I'm serious. I need to charge my phone before my fiancé loses his mind with worry."

Alex shrugged.

"I wasn't joking. There really is no electricity. You can check."

Chloe stood looking at him for a long while once again, before turning her back on him and making her way to the living room, checking along the walls for plug outlets and any electrical devices. She found none.

Defeated, Chloe slouched down in one of the armchairs before the fire again, contemplating ways to get through to Jacque.

"By the way!" she heard Alex call from the room next door, "I just realized that you never told me your full name! I noticed you said fiancé, so you'll be changing it soon I suppose, but I'd like to know it nonetheless."

Chloe sighed, still slightly irritated that she had been thwarted in her hunt for electricity, and reluctantly called back to him.

"Why the sudden interest?"

There was a brief pause of silence as she waited for him to answer her.

"No reason," she heard, "Just curious."

Chloe sighed once more.

"Very well Mr. Brimshaw, its Davids. I am Chloe Davids, soon to be Mrs. Chloe-"

She trailed off at the sound of a spoon clattering to the floor. She turned in her chair to look around the corner curiously, and saw Alex standing, wide eyed, near the entrance to the kitchen, staring at her in disbelief. She recoiled beneath his stare, and a feeling of warmth and confusion crept over her heart as she noticed the sudden affection in his eyes, as well as the sudden fear.

"Chloe…Davids?" he choked out.

**TO BE CONTINUED**

_What you all think? Should I carry on with this little dream stor of mine? Leme know in your reviews! _^_^


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